On their 'honor:' local scouts donate to La. flood victims

Girl Scouts of South Alabama collected donations for flood victims in and around the Baton Rouge, La., area. On Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, they picked up donations dropped off at the Montgomery Advertiser. Items were delivered to La. on Tuesday.
Kym Klass / Montgomery Advertiser

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Girl Scout troops from throughout the River Region collected items recently for those rebuilding in Baton Rouge after the recent flooding. They collected donated items from the Montgomery Advertiser on Monday, Sept. 19, 2016.(Photo: Kym Klass / Montgomery Advertiser)Buy Photo

The Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama this week did more than just work toward a badge.

They helped a nearby state find relief after flooding this summer in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, area left many rebuilding their homes and lives.

"We wanted to contribute to to Louisiana flood victims because we have so much and they have so little right now, and it feels like the least amount we could do," said Claire Hardin of Troop 9327, and who is an eighth-grader at Floyd Middle Magnet School. "There has been a lot of water and paper towels collected. Water is always important because drinking water, you need that to survive."

Much of the thousands of donations the Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama received were from companies and organizations, including the Prattville Police Department, SABIC, the Montgomery Advertiser and numerous churches. On Tuesday, the items were delivered to Lafayette, to Girl Scouts of Louisiana Pines to the Gulf, the sister council of Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama.

"Doing community service like this is what Girl Scouts is about," said Meghan Cochrane, spokeswoman of Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama, and who delivered the items to the . "As a council, we wanted to do this collection to show the girls that we give back to the community.

"That no matter what is going on in the world, this is what you're supposed to do."

Jakayla Coleman of Troop 9182, and an eighth-grade student at Marbury Middle School, said the drive was important because "I felt like we have to contribute to different states that don't have what we have, and I felt like this was such an important movement for us to do and help out.

"It makes me feel happy and it makes me feel great, and it makes me feel good about myself because it lets me know that I can contribute to someone that doesn't have what I have."

Girl Scout troops from throughout the River Region collected items recently for those rebuilding in Baton Rouge after the recent flooding. They collected donated items from the Montgomery Advertiser on Monday, Sept. 19, 2016.(Photo: Kym Klass / Montgomery Advertiser)